National destiny: Starting with a coffin, building an aircraft carrier is broadcast live globally.

The sound of wheels rolling over the metal floor activated the lighting system in the spacious laboratory.

He casually sits in a heavy industrial-style wheelchair, pushing the wheels forward with both hands.

The tail rests on the wheelchair footrest.

[A mermaid in a wheelchair... um, it looks incongruous but it makes sense?]

[What's so incongruous about it? The fish has come ashore, and since he has no legs, of course he'll have to use a wheelchair!]

[I envy the person upstairs's mental state...]

[Ha...fish, what fish doesn't go crazy?]

As for the origin of the wheelchair, it is naturally the Newton Model 52!

"So this guy is the High Priest?"

Klaus stared at the little old man hopping along behind the wheelchair and asked with a complicated expression.

This mermaid has a short, thick tail, and two small fins on either side that look like small fans. It has orange and white stripes on its body, and its skin is wrinkled, like the peel of a hairy orange.

...Who would have thought?

The High Priest, who is shrouded in mystery in his robes and controls the fate of countless mermaids in the Deep Blue Kingdom, always travels in a Lv8 mutated elite creature, is actually an ornamental fish.

That's reasonable, I suppose.

"Because of their inferior strength, revealing their true form would diminish their deterrent effect, so they can only maintain their status by creating an air of mystery."

Any analysis can be extremely insightful.

"It's not superstition, it's the culmination of wisdom!"

The old man retorted, his neck stiff.

But as soon as he felt Klaus's gaze from behind and remembered the spear crackling with electricity, he immediately shrank back, muttering under his breath.

"Intellectual superiority can make up for everything..."

Just now, under the friendly questioning of Renyi and Klaus, the high priest revealed his plan in detail.

In his script:

First, they used Viya to sow discord and infighting among the sisters, muddying the waters of the entire Deep Blue Kingdom.

Ideally, the three sides would be severely injured and wiped out, after which the Sea Dragon Guard would return, and he would then appear with King Arthur's token, rightfully taking over all the power of the kingdom.

"I just... just underestimated the power of books on a pessimist! I had her read those books to help her understand the nature of power, but who knew it would lead to her needing to purify the world!?"

The high priest looked gloomy.

What's the difference between this and bringing a monkey into a lab that randomly presses buttons?

"When I realized the situation was not good, I had no choice but to sneak back to the lab, at least it was safe there."

Hearing this, Ren Yi felt relieved.

It seems the execution ground is safe now.

But a nameless fire rose in Klaus's heart.

He couldn't imagine it.

What kind of despair would it be if, when Lina was at her most vulnerable and in need of guidance, the people around her only instilled in her the darkness and ugliness of the world?

"She was just a child then!"

Klaus's eyes were practically spitting fire; he rarely showed such emotion.

The high priest was so frightened that he retreated repeatedly, but he still stubbornly insisted:

"So what? Isn't it better to face reality sooner rather than later? Besides... I didn't force her, she came here of her own accord..."

He turned around and shook his head at Klaus.

Discussing morality with a guy like the high priest is like casting pearls before swine.

"Alright,"

An arbitrary sound broke the oppressive atmosphere.

"Where is the king?"

Knowing his life was in someone else's hands, the high priest dared not play any tricks and dejectedly led them through countless cylindrical glass containers filled with a dark green liquid.

Finally, we passed through a heavy, round alloy door.

later......

It was a dazzling expanse of pure white.

Cool light strips extended from the ceiling to the walls, illuminating every inch of the space. Rows of glass columns contained various twisted marine specimens.

Before the mutation.

Sanyu couldn't help but soften her breathing, afraid of disturbing anyone's peaceful sleep.

"Where...is this place?"

Klaus asked in a low voice,

He really wants to straighten the crooked transparent tube that's stuck in the glass pillar.

"......grave."

The high priest's voice carried a hint of weariness and self-mockery.

Deepest part,

Inside an even larger, transparent glass column, or rather, a hibernation pod, a handsome male hybrid siren-mermaid floated in a pale blue liquid, his body connected to countless tubes.

He was exceptionally tall.

Even if they are curled up, the sense of oppression is not reduced.

However, his skin was a decaying grayish-white, and half of his body had begun to mutate, growing jagged bone spurs and rough, unattractive scales.

Renyi frowned and exchanged a glance with the engineer.

These scales...

It bears an eight or nine-tenths resemblance to the siren with the word "(fake)" that they encountered in the Tranquil Sea!

On the vertical screen next to the life support pod,

Rows of green data scrolled by, with a few red lines standing out starkly among them.

"Genetic collapse?"

After randomly identifying for a while, he guessed in a deep voice.

"That's right."

The high priest sighed, looking at the king inside the life support pod with a complex expression.

"Arthur was the most powerful king in the history of the Blue Kingdom. His siren genes accounted for more than 70 percent of his body, which gave him unparalleled power, but also... brought a curse."

He hopped over to Ren Yi and pulled up a fancy genetic map.

"This is the conclusion reached by our priests throughout the ages."

"The human genes in our blood determine our rationality and stability; while the marine genes give us strength and special abilities."

The high priest pointed to three intertwined spiral chains on the diagram.

"These two must be maintained in a delicate balance. The higher the proportion of marine mammal genes, the stronger the power, but the more unstable the genetic chain, making it more susceptible to being devoured by violent power. Conversely, the higher the proportion of human genes, the weaker one becomes, but the clearer one's mind."

In his description,

The reason why the noble bloodline of the Deep Blue Kingdom is so noble is because the siren genes in their bodies are purer and their power is stronger.

But this is also a dead end.

Each generation repeats the cycle of power and collapse.

The initial symptoms of genetic breakdown are mental instability, followed by physical deformities, and finally... a complete transformation into a mindless monster.

"Arthur... Arthur held on for a long time, so long that I thought he was an exception."

Even though it has already been distorted to this extent,

Surprisingly, they didn't lose their minds.

"Back three years ago, he himself went into the priest's tower, requesting that his body enter a state of hibernation to delay his collapse..."

"Hibernation?"

Klaus muttered to himself,

"Is the brainwave activity completely normal, or even abnormally active, but the body functions are maintained at a minimum level?"

"That's right."

The high priest looked at him in surprise, "Force the cells to 'shut down'?"

......

Blue Star.

"Genetic breakdown...forced hibernation..."

"Elder Pei, this coincides with our previous guess!"

A member of the medical team, who was over fifty years old, excitedly reported:

"The symptoms of deep-sea silencing syndrome are almost identical. If this is the explanation..."

"This might not be a disease, but rather... evolution!"

Following the updates on Cola Novels has never been so enjoyable.

He hopped over to Ren Yi and pulled up a fancy genetic map.

"This is the conclusion reached by our priests throughout the ages."

"The human genes in our blood determine our rationality and stability; while the marine genes give us strength and special abilities."

The high priest pointed to three intertwined spiral chains on the diagram.

"These two must be maintained in a delicate balance. The higher the proportion of marine mammal genes, the stronger the power, but the more unstable the genetic chain, making it more susceptible to being devoured by violent power. Conversely, the higher the proportion of human genes, the weaker one becomes, but the clearer one's mind."

In his description,

The reason why the noble bloodline of the Deep Blue Kingdom is so noble is because the siren genes in their bodies are purer and their power is stronger.

But this is also a dead end.

Each generation repeats the cycle of power and collapse.

The initial symptoms of genetic breakdown are mental instability, followed by physical deformities, and finally... a complete transformation into a mindless monster.

"Arthur... Arthur held on for a long time, so long that I thought he was an exception."

Even though it has already been distorted to this extent,

Surprisingly, they didn't lose their minds.

"Back three years ago, he himself went into the priest's tower, requesting that his body enter a state of hibernation to delay his collapse..."

"Hibernation?"

Klaus muttered to himself,

"Is the brainwave activity completely normal, or even abnormally active, but the body functions are maintained at a minimum level?"

"That's right."

The high priest looked at him in surprise, "Force the cells to 'shut down'?"

......

Blue Star.

"Genetic breakdown...forced hibernation..."

"Elder Pei, this coincides with our previous guess!"

A member of the medical team, who was over fifty years old, excitedly reported:

"The symptoms of deep-sea silencing syndrome are almost identical. If this is the explanation..."

"This might not be a disease, but rather... evolution!"